[tamathumper]

I'm not sure what's worse, the article or some of the comments!



http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2010/08...1-996-3-4/

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Chris Vais]

The problem with this article is that there is no data the supports the writers comments. To be sure the 996 was not one of Porsche's better efforts and the resale price of the car reflects that. The same can be said for the earliest Boxster. I looked at and drove them both and decided to keep my 968. If you read Excellence regularly, you should have a good understanding of where the weak points on those cars are. So are the failures the writer rants about common, if so, what percentage of the cars have had these problems? I'm sure there must be some data out there if you look hard enough.



Having driven the latest iterations of both the Boxster, Caymen and the Carrera, I would say that I prefer the Boxter/Caymen series for the handling. The Carrera's have, unfortunately evolved into luxury vehicles, and you have to buy a GT3 R or RS, to get a Carrera that drives like you would expect a Carrera to drive. If I were to replace the 968, it would be with a Caymen S or R.



As for the comments, most of them are offered by people who have never owned a Porsche and therefore not worth reading. I've had numerous comments from people, who have never owned a Porsche, ask me if it is expensive to maintain. My answer is always not if you do the preventative maintenance and not if you don't abuse the car.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

i actually thought the article was pretty spot on, from the tale of the "change as little as possible for as long as possible" philosophy to the descriptions of the pathetic interior. the 996 was the profit car. many shortcuts were taken. it's current market value is a testament to that. even porschephiles dislike the car more than any other model of the 911.



personally i think the body lines of the 996 turbo were the best of the bunch, but i completely agree about the interior, and that is precisely why i did not buy one. i also hated that the car sounded like a hoover running down the road (though that was better than the previous models that sounded like farting through a tin can)

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[robadams56]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I recall reading that the 968 was the last of the hand built Porsches. I was at a regional concours event this weekend and had more than one 911 driver comment on how the 968 was so underrated. None of them had ever driven one, but had heard about the legendary handling.



The owner (and event sponsor) of the shop where the event was held said of the 968 " I don't really care for them but I absolutely respect them for what they are".



Another funny comment directed at the four 928s on hand " wow, would you look at that? Four 928s and they are all running!"



Gotta love it.



If you want to view some good images of the event, search for Maverick Region on facebook and you will see the posts.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[ds968]

Both the article and comments from Porsche owners are, sadly, true in many respects, IMO. As for comments from those who have never owned or even driven a Porsche, I completely agree with Chris..waste of time reading any of those posts, they clearly all have P-envy ( as in ...Porsche envy ;- ) .

And what's with all the Miata admiration society responding to this article ?! It may be fun car to drive ( not sure I'd ever want to be seen in one, but to each his own..) and may be simple and probably very reliable, but to bring it up as a point of comparison to any Porsche is laughable...

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Langley968]

Interesting read...

The 996 will be always be the 911 to avoid.

But then, all modern day cars will be a nightmare to maintain when they get to be the age of our 968's. The electronics alone will make current cars (not just Porsches) a maintenance nightmare in a few years! I have often wondered what will become of all the current cars in 15 - 20 years... <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/excl.png" class="smilie" alt="" />

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Eric_Oz_S2]

I'm not sure about difficulties with warranty claims - I have heard the opposite (in Oz). In fact I know someone that dropped a valve while tracking one and Porsche still covered the costs 100% (extended warranty), even though the car was almost 10 years old.



The reported issues are only with the 986/996/Carrera S, the GT3's are based on the 993 block and do not suffer the same engine issues.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[judge]

robadams56 is right... the 968 was "virtually" hand built, but not for the reasons one might think.



As I heard it Porsche A-G was in a bad state financially after the failure of the 928 as a replacement for the ageing 911, and the negative perception attaching to the brand after the "Greed is Good" period of the late '80's.



However, because they were basically still a family company with a "Mittelstand" attitude, they didn't want to "downsize", read "sack", their workforce to take account of the lack of demand for their cars. So they slowed the production line to about one third speed, giving their workers about three times longer to perform their tasks than they would have had previously. And the workers responded by putting that extra time into our cars ensuring that they are the best they could possibly be!



Or so I've been told.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Lt. Dan]

To be honest, I wouldn't call the article itself "bashing"... Everything said there is true!!!!

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[ds968]

About the interiors...Porsche deserves every bit of criticism for what has to be the cheapest materials and coachmanship of any make in its so-called sports luxury segment ( IMHO ) Compared to Ferrari, or Maserati, or Jaguar, even Audi , or several other similarly expensive makes, Porsche's leather is pure crap, the dashes crack, the window sills discolor, the switches look as cheap as can be and feel feeble, etc, etc.. I remember the comments made by Ron ( midblu) when he tested the new Cayman when first it came out ; while very impressed with the handling, he thought the interior was put together at the Yugo factory..was afraid to touch the door handles, or the switches, or anything else for that matter, for fear that it'll break off in his hand during the test drive, lol. That's just sad, and a shame on Porsche considering the price of these cars.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

it's the carryover philosophy of the vw. remember that the first 911 was little more than a pumped up bug. porsche continued to build the cars under the same paradigm, and has not really gone away from that. what disturbs me about the concept is that they cling to the more spartan and utilitarian design, yet the cars have always been incredibly heavy compared to others of similar performance. only in recent years has the field leveled out in weight, not because porsche has gotten lighter, but because they others have also gotten heavier. yet still the design and level of quality has not improved.



the 968 is the only porsche i ever considered, and almost did not buy it BECAUSE it was a porsche.



i do like the 996 headlights though, and still wish i could incorporate them into the 968

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[mbardeen]

While deciding what car to buy, I had also been tempted by the early boxters and 996s. However, the interiors didn't really do it for me (too plastic & toyota!) and the IMS issue absolutely scared me away. I was also concerned with the ease of self-maintenance. Nearest Porsche dealer is 3 hours away -- if the car broke down, I'd have to do all the maintenance myself. And then there was the issue of depreciation -- there are too many boxters and 996s on the market here to ever recoup any investment I'd make in them.



So now I'm here with my 968.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Ryan]

The "pumped up Bug" comment is something you usually hear from someone who knows nothing about Porsche. I had one of the first 911s and it was nothing like a bug other than it had the engine in the rear. It was pretty spartan inside but it had wood dash and wheel. Sorry no carpeting on the floor. The 2.0L six with its dry sump oiling and 6 Solex carbs was lovely, but hard to keep tuned. These were well built cars that deserved credit, but the 912 with its more VW like engine may have been an even better drive due to lighter weight . Just venting....

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

i've driven the earliest ones, from speedster to 912, and they all felt exactly like a bug to me. same design, construction, and look (you can clearly see the aesthetic parallel). same rattly sound. same horrible handling. same floating front end.



i've always felt that the 911 was one of the worst designs of any car ever. i absolutely detest them.



my feeling is that the only porsche they got close to right was the 968, and even that one has required a complete rework to get close to being what i want from the car, and i still don't love the lines. if there were another car with the same features, i would have gotten it instead.



but, it had to be a 2 seat ragtop, manual trans, front engine, rear drive, AC, power steering, ABS, and the ability to carry 2 sets of golf clubs, 2 cases of wine, a weekend of luggage, and the wife



i got stuck with this car. if i had it to do over again, i would have gotten the ferrari, mailed my luggage and rented clubs

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Kim]

I have a 2008 Cayman S and the two 1992 968s. The interior of the Cayman is very nice, but it does have the full leather interior (doors, dash, 100% on seats). and it is a lot more powerful and smooth. Hard to complain about it (but I can each time I remember replacing the engine at 45K km). However, when I bought my 968 coupe in 2004 and the cab in 2006, Boxters were also on the list to consider. A 911 (964, 993 or 996) was too much money at the time. I liked the 968 better than the used Boxters in the same price range.



My coupe has been a nightmane to maintain. The cab has cost almost nothing more than routine maintenance.



Go figure.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.